Brighten up your Christmas

It’s that time of the year again when we often steal some time to think about Christmas. The shops are full of colourful decorations, beautiful wrappings and tempting sweets which would never make it to ﻿Christmas Day once in our hands.

But I know we all feel like this is not enough to truly immerse in the Christmas mood and decorate, not only our room, but our thoughts as well. Because Christmas is all about the spirit which surrounds us and here is my suggestion to how one weekend in the capital can totally brighten up your whole Christmas experience.

London is so famous for its Christmas decorations and many wonder exactly how much the Queen spends every single year to keep that tradition alive. The truth is that, as soon as you start walking along the crowded streets, a special feeling finds place in your heart and brings last year’s Christmas hype back!

Getting down there from Sheffield is so easy. I would advise you to travel by bus as it is way cheaper and book a ticket one or two weeks beforehand. If you are going on a day trip, you will definitely have to get up early with a good plan in your head. As you will have limited time and the London Underground is the easiest way for you to get around, don’t forget to purchase a travelcard for the day - it will save you a lot of money to spend on sweets and many other stocking fillers.

Here are some places you should definitely put on your Christmas bucket list to make the most of your day in the city, which will 100% get you in that special Christmassy mood...

Oxford Street and Regent Street are gorgeously decorated this year so a walk along these two remarkable places is the perfect start to your day. The spirit of Christmas is not only out there on the streets, every single shop or coffee bar waves at you, warmly enchanted by colourful lights and Christmas trees. Oxford Street is where the shops of so many brands take place so buying some presents and souvenirs for family and friends will be an easy task for you.

Regent Street is extremely crowded during the festive season so why not take a break at a traditional English pub and try out something not so common. Treating yourself to a cup of marshmallow hot chocolate and eating fudge cake in a pub may sound super strange, but you will be surprised what a dining hall of one pub has to offer to your curiosity.

Just don’t spend the whole day taking selfies there, because the best part of your day is yet to come. 2 to 3 hours are pretty much enough and don’t forget that these two famous streets are waiting for you throughout the whole year, but Hyde Park has prepared something you can only see at Christmas.

Every year Hyde park hosts one of the biggest Christmas markets in the world called Winter Wonderland. It is the best place for you to go with friends and try some Christmas specials, drink the tastiest winter drink - mulled raspberry wine - and buy ﻿some little cute gifts. Winter Wonderland is so wonderful that you can choose between many attractions and watching the festivities. Being at Hyde Park is once-in-a-lifetime experience. Then simply pop into one of the many food courts or recharge your batteries with some Nutella waffles and enjoy the rest of the evening!

I suggest going to the park in the late afternoon because this magical place is so much more beautiful at night! As the market is highly visited, have your patience with you and be ready to spend more than 2 hours there - long queues are not a rare view!

London has so much to offer for people who already can’t wait for Christmas to come that it’s a pity if you don’t visit it. And remember, this should be one joyful and merry day so don’t bother too much about the frowning sky above you or sightseeing. We are talking about festivities here; the Queen’s palace and Big Ben will have to wait!

Oh, and please be on time for your coach back to Sheffield although I know how hard it is to wave goodbye to a stunning city like London!